It is a French island in the Indian Ocean. A small dot between Mauritius and Madagascar and merely 6-hour flight away from Chennai. It is now known for the debris of MH 370 Malaysia Airline; however, it has one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and I was lucky to witness the volcanic eruptions of “the Piton de la Fournaise” at Île de la Réunion (Reunion Island).
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| Volcanic Eruption |
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| Volcanic Pit |
I had never seen a volcanic pit. It is an extraordinary sight! Contrary to the drive toward the volcano which is rich with a unique flora and fauna, the air closer to the pit is chilly and landscape very dessert like.
The Piton de la Fournaise occupies one third of the surface of the island. So you just can't miss it!
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| Terrain leading to the volcanic pit |
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| Terrain Leading to the volcanic pit |
Clear Air, Beautiful Weather, Green Blue Ocean is a recipe for a perfect vacation.
Upon landing, we stayed at the Best Western. It was cozy, “stay during transit night” kind of place, moreover it was closer to the airport. This helped our itinerary as our flight from Chennai landed at the Saint Denis airport late evening.
We headed off to Saint Anne the next day. Our stay was at Diana Dea Lodge. A beautiful place to stay in the mountains, with a clear view of the sea at one end and mountains on the other. The bathtub in the room provides for a perfect way to wind down after a trek up the hills.
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| View from Diana Dea Lodge |
A good French meal with some Rhum arrangé makes for a blissful evening. What is Rhum arrangé? It’s a home-made rumflavored with fruits, roots and spices that are macerated for a duration of 1 to 6 months, sometimes even longer.
The next day, we decided to head for a long drive along Cirque de Cilaos. Cilaos comes from the Malagasy word tsilaosa meaning "country you don't leave". Trust me! You wouldn’t want to leave. My mind still wanders off to this place. Lot of trails and trekking options were available once we reached Cilaos.
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| Cirque de Cilaos |
After having our hearts filled with beautiful scenery, a relaxed stay, we headed closer to the waters and stayed at Palm Resort & Spa, Petite Isle. A place of modern day luxury. Merely at a few minutes walking distance from the ocean, this place brought the tropical, summery vibe to our vacation.
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| Petite Isle |
This place is also just half an hour away from the hustle bustle of Saint Pierre. There is a beautiful promenade alongside the ocean. Delicious food places. Evenings were very lively here, with shopping streets not too far away.
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| Light House at Saint Pierre |
We ended our stay on this beautiful Island at Saint Gilles. A very lively town. Almost gives you a vibe of Goa with a lot of tourists around and souvenir shops. We stayed at a very affordable but very comfortable place called Hôtel les Aigrettes. The waterfront at Saint Gilles offer many attractions like aquarium, whale spotting cruises, water sports etc. This place provided us with just the right amount of fun and buying a perfect 974 t-shirt was definitely on top of our list.
Food on the island is the typical French cuisine. Rougaille and Cari were winners. But eating on time was important, as the French like to shut their shop for an afternoon Siesta. When we visit a new city, country, along with its food, we relish the local beers. Bourbon Beer, popularly known as Dodo (yes like the extinct bird) did not disappoint us in it's taste. I learnt later that the island was earlier known as Bourbon Island.
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| French Bread and Bourbon Beer! |
Mountains on one side, Ocean on the other, Sunny one day, Rainy on others, Peaceful mostly with Volcanic Eruptions in the background, offering luxurious and affordable places to stay with exquisite food and drinks, our stay at Île de la Reunion has been nothing short of contrasts.
I do recommend visiting this island once. I would go again in a blink of an eyelid!
Which is that one place that has not left your mind, heart and soul?
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